It is known to arrange atomizers, replaceably installed on painting robots, in a row in the interior of the painting cabin, where they can be retrieved by the robots, as required. This process is relatively time-consuming. The same applies to the necessary supply and cleaning of the atomizer in the change station. In addition, the change arrangements known thus far have undesirably high space requirements.
The replaceable atomizers can expediently contain supply vessels filled with coating materials of different color.
The objective of the invention is to permit rapid replacement of the atomizers with another atomizer or, as required, with a tool, such as a measurement device or gripping tool, etc., with a change system that occupies as little space as possible.
This objective is realized by the features of the patent claims.
With the carousel arrangement described here, a very compact, space-saving, as well as rapid and simply accessible change station, especially during rotation, is devised, which is available not only for the atomizers being changed, but also for other devices or tools required by a robot during the coating operation. The rotational movement can be a complete (carousel-like) rotation or simple pivoting.
It is also advantageous that the atomizers can be connected more simply than before in these change stations to supply lines for coating material and to common line systems for cleaning media, compressed air, etc.
An identification system provided in the change station for the atomizers in the carousel also permits the atomizer data pertaining to maintenance to be simply read out. The required atomizer data include information, such as hours of operation; list of the painting zones, painting line, type of paint, etc., in which the atomizer was used; list of amount of paint (liter output and standby operation); performed maintenance work; performed cleaning work. Maintenance instructions can be recovered, for example, from the atomizer data.
The automatic removable mount that serves as a carousel can also advantageously be movable within the cabin, especially linearly parallel to the direction of conveyance of the workpieces being coated and therefore parallel to the 7th axis of the robot corresponding to it, so that the required atomizer can be brought to the robot for time saving.
A particularly important possibility consists of the fact that the device containing the storage locations, i.e., the carousel, is arranged on the cabin wall, or preferably as a part of this wall, so that it is rapidly accessible, on the one hand, from the interior of the cabin and, on the other hand, from the outside. The atomizers or tools can be retrieved from the inside and used by a robot, whereas manual replacement is possible from the outside.
The carousel-like storage device can be arranged with particular advantage so that the common center of the storage locations, i.e., the carousel axis, lies in the plane of the cabin wall, and the cabin wall plane therefore passes through the center of the storage device.
To cover the storage device, there is also the possibility of arranging the outward lying part of the device in an attachment, for example, with a door that is only opened as required to change an atomizer or other tool. The part accessible to the robot in the cabin interior can also be provided with a closed covering with an access for the robot, which is opened as required. In addition, or alternatively, the storage device can be protected by an air stream that serves as an air curtain.
In particular, when the center of rotation of the storage device is situated in or near the plane of the cabin wall, a shell structure, rotatable about the center of the storage device, can be incorporated in the cabin wall expediently as a cover instead of fixed structures, for example, a cylindrical half-shell. The interior of this shell structure, opened only to one side, is accessible from the exterior or from the cabin interior, depending on its rotational position, the cabin being sealed outwardly in both cases.
The change station described here is also advantageously expandable in simple fashion and not only by enlarging the carousel, but also by connecting additional magazines.
Different embodiment examples of a coating installation according to the invention are further explained with reference to the drawing. In the drawing: